Turkish presidency condemns attack on Holy Quran in Denmark

In a post he shared on his social media account, Altun said: “I strongly condemn the repeat of an atrocious attack on our religion and our flag. Danish authorities cannot treat these Islamophobic, xenophobic and racist actions within the purview of freedom of expression. This is utterly unacceptable and dangerous.”

Noting that we have unfortunately become accustomed to these kinds of incidents throughout Europe, Altun said: "These are clearly provocations to spark a backlash from Muslims and Turkish people to be able to depict us in a negative light. We will not play this game, but we will also not ignore it."

Stressing that Europe must come to terms with the reality of the rising threat from hate groups, Altun added:

"Targeting our sacred values and symbols with the clear intent of stirring violent reactions cannot be considered freedom of speech. This approach is dangerous for Muslims and humanity at large. Just as we have the utmost respect for the religious beliefs of other communities around the world, and we protect their sacred values and symbols, we have every right to expect the same thing from Europeans. It’s been far too long since they have been ignoring this problem. European governments and civil society organizations must act now, not later, to confront these acts of terrorism forcefully if they are interested in a peaceful dialogue between different religions and cultures. They cannot allow these provocateurs to spread their hate."

"We call on all European authorities to develop a comprehensive plan"

Stating that too many politicians and public figures throughout Europe are either espousing such hateful actions or looking the other way, Altun warned, "Those with common sense need to understand this problem is simply growing, and it needs to be addressed in a serious way."

Reporting that they will use everything in their power to fight hate, Altun noted:

"We call on all European authorities to develop a comprehensive plan to fight it in a serious way. We would be more than happy to cooperate and help so that Muslim communities can feel safe and protected. Once again, I condemn these terrorist actions by these utterly cowardly individuals. I also call on Danish authorities to hold these despicable provocateurs accountable. They must also take every precaution to prevent potential future incidents before it is too late." (ILKHA)